Why did Seoul shares give up some of their earlier gains on Friday morning?

Retail and institutional investors kept selling large-cap technology stocks even as foreigners bought aggressively. Their net selling outweighed bargain hunting and left the index with smaller gains by 11:20 a.m.

How much did foreign investors buy in the Seoul market late Friday morning?

Foreign investors bought nearly 1.01 trillion won worth of shares. That buying helped offset 978.9 billion won in combined net selling by retail and institutional investors.

What were Samsung Electronics, SK hynix, and the Korean won doing at 11:20 a.m.?

Samsung Electronics rose 0.56 percent and SK hynix climbed 3.2 percent. The Korean won traded at 1,414.1 won against the U.S. dollar, up 4.5 won from the previous session's close.

Seoul shares pare earlier gains late Friday morning

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Summary

Korean shares pared earlier gains late Friday morning as retail and institutional investors kept selling large-cap technology stocks in Seoul. The KOSPI rose 87.95 points, or 1.29 percent, to 6,901.29 at 11:20 a.m. after briefly touching 7,000. Foreign investors bought nearly 1.01 trillion won in shares, while Samsung Electronics and SK hynix gained. The Korean won traded at 1,414.1 won against the U.S. dollar.

Key Facts

The KOSPI opened 2.7 percent higher and briefly rose 2.9 percent before trimming gains.
Foreign investors bought nearly 1.01 trillion won worth of shares as retail and institutional investors combined sold 978.9 billion won net.
Samsung Electronics rose 0.56 percent, while SK hynix climbed 3.2 percent.
The U.S. S&P 500 rose 0.7 percent overnight, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average and Nasdaq Composite gained 0.1 percent and 0.8 percent, respectively.
The Korean won traded at 1,414.1 won against the U.S. dollar, up 4.5 won from the previous session's close.

By Yonhap

Published Aug 14, 2026 9:11 am KST
Updated Aug 14, 2026 12:54 pm KST

The dealing room of Hana Bank in Seoul, Friday / Yonhap

Korean shares pared earlier gains late Friday morning as retail and institutional investors continued to sell large-cap technology stocks despite bargain hunting by foreign investors.

After opening 2.7 percent higher, the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 87.95 points, or 1.29 percent, to 6,901.29 as of 11:20 a.m. The KOSPI had briefly touched the 7,000 mark in early trading, rising 2.9 percent.

Foreign investors alone scooped up nearly 1.01 trillion won (US$714 million) worth of shares, offsetting a combined 978.9 billion won in net selling by retail and institutional investors.

Overnight, the U.S. stock market rose to an all-time high amid easing oil prices.

The S&P 500 climbed 0.7 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.1 percent, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite gained 0.8 percent.

In Seoul, blue-chip shares led the advance.

Market bellwether Samsung Electronics went up 0.56 percent, while rival chipmaker SK hynix added 3.2 percent.

The Korean won was trading at 1,414.1 won against the U.S. dollar as of 11:20 a.m., up 4.5 won from the previous session's close.

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